1 Brief Description of the Prior Art
Many types of fishing lures are geometrically configured, and carry finishes which enable the lure to resemble as closely as possible certain natural, live bait fish. Thus, many types of popular fishing lures resemble, in varying degrees of similarity, one or more of the shad species which constitute the natural food for many types of game fish.
In constructing a lure to resemble a natural species of minnow, or other natural food of the game fish, the finish placed on the lure is important. One technique which utilizes the phenomena of light reflectance to cause the lure to shine or appear like a natural bait species is to metallize the lure body by a vacuum metallizing process. Such metallizing places a thin layer of shiny metal, such as aluminum or nickel, in a specular finish on the outer side of the body of the lure. The metallized coating of the lure then causes it to reflect light in a way which to some degree resembles a "shiner" or small minnow.
Another technique which has been utilized for simulating natural species is the painting of minute scales on the body of the lure in simulation of the scales perceptible on a shad or minnow.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,407,680 discloses a reflex light reflector which includes a light-returning layer of small transparent spheres which are supported upon a light-reflecting surface beneath the spheres. A continuous overlying transparent solid coating or covering is provided, and conforms to the front or forward extremities of the spheres and has a flat front face. The spheres have a refractive index which is at least 1.15 times that of the transparent covering which overlies these spheres. This reflex light reflector refracts and reflects light incident upon the device in a way such that the light appears to be intensified to a viewer viewing the device. This light reflector is disclosed as being utilized on a flat surface with a specific thickness of light transmissive material separating the spherical elements from the back reflecting surface. So far as I am aware, such a sphere-containing, composite coating or finish has not been used on a curved surface or in providing an improved, more natural appearing artificial fishing lure.
2 Brief Description of the Present Invention
The present invention provides a fishing lure which simulates to a remarkable degree a characteristic of certain natural bait species of fish, such as minnows and shad. This property is that of appearing to change colors slightly as the bait species moves or shifts its position. The color change will typically appear to be from a silvery or dull white color to a yellowish white cast.
I have found that by the utilization of a certain finishing technique, and more specifically, the manner in which certain coatings are placed on the external surface of the lure body, the described phenomena of movement induced color change can be caused to characterize the lures of the invention. Thus, as the lure is shifted in its position relative to a light source and to an observer, the color of the lure appears to change with such movement and positional change. Moreover, the outer surface finish of the lure appears to have a greater depth than many other types of lures which are conventionally finished or coated.
Broadly described, the fishing lure of this invention includes a hard body which may be made of wood, metal or plastic, and which is provided with a light reflective metallic coating placed on the outer surface of the body. A monolayer of substantially uniformally sized, small, solid glass spheres is then placed over the reflective metallic coating and the spheres are adhered thereto. The glass microspheres are embedded, finally, in a clear protective coating such as lacquer or clear polyurethane.
An important object of the invention, as thus described, is to provide a fishing lure which is more natural in its appearance, and relatively closer in its similarity, to natural species constituting the forage of game fish.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an artificial fishing lure which, as it is moved through the water, appears to change in its light reflectivity characteristics, including appearing to change color.
A further object of the invention is to provide a unique finish on a fishing lure which can be relatively inexpensively placed on the lure, but which is unique in its refraction and reflection of light impinging upon the lure so as to make the lure more attractive to game fish.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following detailed description of the invention is read and considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and which serve to demonstrate the basic principles entailed in such preferred embodiment, as well as in other alternate embodiments not specifically illustrated.